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Finding a way to set your company apart from the competition is key for long-term success, John Jantsch writes. But, he notes, "it's not enough to simply be different; you've got to be different in a way that offers extreme value and solves problems people are ready to pay for." You can do this by asking your customers questions to uncover needs that aren't being met by the marketplace, he writes.

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Exploring in depth the characteristics of your ideal clients could be key to finding more of them and avoiding the kinds of customers who are too demanding or costly, writes John Jantsch. "[T]o build a business that truly can thrive you must understand who you are equipped to serve best and you must do everything in your power to attract, serve and choose them over all else," Jantsch writes.

As you develop a marketing strategy, figure out a way to differentiate your business from the competition, John Jantsch writes. Then produce a framework for engaging your prospects and determine how you will communicate with them, he writes. "No matter how perfectly you state your marketing strategy, if it doesn't live firmly in the tactics you employ to develop customers it's all for naught," Jantsch writes.

Yelp has created a free tool known as the Revenue Estimator that helps businesses figure out how much money they're making from Yelp-generated leads. A free listing on Yelp can allow companies to bring in about $8,000 per year, according to a study.

There are several benefits to using independent contractors, but they can also add new complications when it comes to project management, writes Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media. However, you can make sure your projects stay on track by communicating with contractors, providing a time frame for the work and using written contracts. "Even with contractors you've worked with before, written contracts are essential to define a project's scope and keep things from getting out of control," she writes.

You can get more done by dividing your week into three categories: Big-picture planning, making money and knocking out tasks such as paperwork, writes marketing expert John Jantsch. Separating those activities into different days can pay off in greater efficiency and focus, he says.